Another former Liberty University (LU) employee is suing the school for allegedly firing him in retaliation for being a whistleblower.
Former LU Dean John Markley says for four years he repeatedly made good faith reports to Liberty leadership and law enforcement of the school’s state and federal law violations, only to be terminated in June, reports Christianity Today.
LU denies Markley’s claims and says administrative reorganization measures on campus were the reason for his termination.
Some of Markley’s allegations against the university include fraudulent management of LU’s charities and corporate subsidies, resulting in unjust enrichment; conflict of interest; intentional misrepresentation of acceptance rates and enrollment figures for financial gain; intentional destruction of evidence of the school’s wrongdoing; and improper use of LU assets, such as the school’s jet. He also alleges the school tried to thwart and/or obstruct the aims of Title IX and corrective measures to combat sexual assault on campus.
Markley’s lawsuit is similar to the lawsuit filed in October 2021 by former LU Senior Vice President of Communications Scott Lamb who alleges he was fired for criticizing the school’s response to sexual assault claims.
In the same month that Lamb filed his lawsuit against the school, an investigative report from ProPublica found the university continuously ignored reports of rapes and discouraged students from reporting their victimizations.
Additionally, 12 students and employees filed lawsuits against the school alleging LU mishandled their sexual assault reports. The claims of those Jane Does 1-12 were settled out of court in May of this year, and the terms were not released.
The lawsuits prompted the U.S. Department of Education to open an investigation into the school’s handling of sexual assault reports.
Markley wants his job back and to be financially compensated, while LU has vowed to refute each point of Markley’s allegations.
